


Bookmarks

by Please No Portraits (GothAlbinoAngel)



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss, six the musical
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Beheaded Cousins, F/F, My First Work in This Fandom, Reincarnated With Memories, Reincarnation, Slow Burn, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22285612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GothAlbinoAngel/pseuds/Please%20No%20Portraits
Summary: When Kit Holland offered Cathy Para her bookmark that cool spring day, she didn't realize she was opening the door to a world she hadn't seen before, a world she hadn't had the opportunity to see in her previous life. Now, Kit and Cathy want to go about getting to know one another, even as the marks on their arms tell them they're bound for someone else. Or are they? Anne and Anna sit back to watch the fireworks, and maybe light a few to help the lovebirds along.
Relationships: Anne Boleyn/Anna of Cleves (Six), Katherine Howard/Catherine Parr
Comments: 19
Kudos: 126





	1. The Bookmark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! First fic in the queendom! I can't believe it took me this long, but I took way longer to post my first Heathers fic. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this little soulmate AU!

Kit sighed as she stepped out of the building. College calc was always so difficult for her. Anne got it like it was nothing, but anytime Kit looked at those numbers, her head started pounding and she just wanted to go to sleep. The afternoon air brushed over her cheeks in an inviting breeze, much different than the harsh winds of winter two weeks ago. Even so, Kit pulled her scarf up to cover her mouth and nose. Never know when Jack Frost would decide to return for one last burst before spring fully set in.

Turning toward the bus stop, Kit mentally shuffled through the day’s activities. Another paper was assigned in Modern Lit, they had some new readings to do in America: Pre-Revolution, and of course, the dreaded Calculus homework (that she totally wouldn’t put off til the last minute, she swears). Well, at least it was Anne’s turn to do the dishes, so all Kit had to focus on was cooking dinner. Maybe she could get a cat nap in before then... if the bus was on time.

The stop was as crowded as it usually was this time of day. Students milled about, a few of them waved to her and Kit returned the greeting with a smile. As she made her way toward her usual bench, though, she noticed someone unfamiliar already sitting there. Okay, on the one hand, she could just stand. Standing after a whole day of sitting wouldn’t kill her. But on the other hand, doing something out of her usual routine made her a little anxious. Alright, the slightly frightening but still plausible third option would come into play, it seemed.

“Excuse me?” Kit called hesitantly. The person glanced up from the book they were reading and blinked at her. “May I join you?”

“Oh yeah, sure.” She scooted over and Kit took a seat with a grateful smile. “Sorry, I get so lost in the pages, I tend to forget what’s going on around me.”

“I can understand that,” Kit responded, setting her pack down and pulling out a book of her own. “There have been plenty of times I’ve almost missed the bus because of it.”

They shared a smile before each going back to their reading. Kit expected to feel uncomfortable, being this close to a stranger for a prolonged period of time, but it was actually pretty nice. So nice, in fact, that she actually finished her book before she heard the telltale sound of steam and metal coming closer. She slipped her book in her bag and noticed her momentary reading partner seemed to be looking for something.

With a smile, Kit slipped her bookmark from her sleeve and passed it over. “Here, use mine.”

She received a startled glance. “Oh, I couldn’t. I might not be able to give it back.”

“Well, if you’re ever in the area again,” Kit interjected with a cheeky grin. “I’m always at this bus stop around this time every day. Feel free to stop by to return it once you’ve finished with it.”

“Thanks.” She accepted the bookmark and slipped it between the pages. “I’m Cathy, by the way. For the next time we do cross paths.”

Kit grinned and hefted her pack on her shoulder. “I’m Kit. It’s nice to meet you, Cathy.”

With a wave, she bounced onto the bus. Usually, she hated the metal seats and couldn’t wait for the rattling motion to finally reach her destination so she could dismount. Today, however, Kit hardly noticed the thin fabric of her seat or how uncomfortably close this particular chair was to the guardrail in front of the secondary door. Her mind hyperfocused on how pretty Cathy’s parting smile had been. Kit didn’t know if she’d see Cathy again, but she really hoped so.

~~~

At the bus stop, Cathy hummed. The bus disappeared and she stepped forward. Anna always came around shortly after the bus, and just like always, the red Mazda sped into view. Anna rolled down the passenger side window with a grin and waved to her. “Head stuck in the clouds again?” she laughed.

“Only a little,” Cathy chuckled, slipping into the passenger’s seat and clicking her belt into place. “Knew you wouldn’t be too far behind this time.”

“Of course, lovely,” Anna chirped as she sped away from the curb. “Can’t leave my favorite roommate hangin’!”

Cathy snorted as she opened her book again. “I’m your _only_ roommate, Anna,” she pointed out teasingly.

“Which automatically makes you my favorite.” Anna’s cheeky grin flashed at her before she turned her eyes back to the road.

Meanwhile, Cathy’s gaze fell to the bookmark. It wasn’t anything too special, just a regular mark with details about the local library. However, what caught her eye was the bright blue writing on the back of the mark. _No matter how I feel, it’s what I have to do. – Queen Catherine Parr._ Cathy blinked in interest and twirled the bookmark around in her fingers. Well, isn’t that interesting.

“Hey, Anna?” Cathy asked. Her eyes filled with the memory of a brown and pink ponytail disappearing behind sliding metal doors.

“What’s up, babe?” She had Anna’s attention.

“Has anyone… made mention of your, er, _past_ recently?”

Anna’s eyebrows furrowed and she glanced briefly to Cathy. “Uh, I mean, you and I are the only ones who know, apart from Anniebelle, but I haven’t seen her for a few months…”

“Does anything kind of just… throw you back to that time?” Cathy pressed. “Like a quote or a painting or something?”

“Literally any time I hear something in German,” Anna responded. “I’m not joking. I flash back to my palace, my land, that brief time being married to Henry.” Here she flinched. “The regret that one of my best friends ended up beheaded because of the divorce…”

Cathy’s lips pursed and she took a deep breath. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so tactless, I shouldn’t have-.”

“No, don’t.” Anna stopped her and inhaled deeply. “It’s actually okay, I guess, in some weird way. I mean, I miss Katherine, but at the same time, I like to believe she’s out there, you know? Like, if me and you, Lina and Sweet Anne can reincarnate, then maybe the other two also did. And believing that, I can imagine her having a much better life than before.” She gave a small smile. “Especially since beheading is illegal here.”

They shared a soft laugh. “Don’t feel sorry for bringin’ it up,” Anna continued. “I like my new life, but I think I’d feel empty if I hadn’t regained my memories.”

Cathy merely hummed in response and Anna let her to her thoughts. Anna did notice that Cathy made no move to read her book, though. Instead, she just kept fingering that bookmark from the local library. Weird, but Anna wasn’t going to complain.

Cathy felt a strange weight in her chest as she watched the scenery pass by. _“I miss Katherine…” Me, too, Anna. Me, too._

The rest of the ride home was quiet, but the whole way, Cathy was hyperaware of the marks on her arm. _Katherine Howard._

~~~

“I’m home, Annie!” Kit called, removing her shoes at the doorway.

“In the kitchen, Kitkat!”

Kit strolled into the kitchen to find Anne poring over some papers. “How’s the theatre earnings looking today?” she asked, glancing at one of the pages.

“Hella great, of course,” Anne laughed. “I moved around the performances so modern contemporary comes right before Shakespeare and it’s a big success, especially with the young crowd who can’t afford friggin Broadway.”

Kit giggled at her cousin’s enthusiasm and set her pack by a chair. A cursory look around the kitchen confirmed that Anne had already done the dishes, so it was all clear to begin preparing dinner. “Sounds like a smash hit. As expected of the Lady of the Theatre.” Anne preened at the praise.

“How was school?” Anne inquired as she went back to her paperwork.

“Ugh, Calc is gonna melt my brain,” Kit groaned, selecting the right pans for tonight’s dish. She’d left the chicken to thaw in the fridge all day, so it should be ready. “Pre-Rev is alright, I guess. I don’t really care for all the false info about this wonderful world, but we’re still pretty young, far as countries go. They gotta keep us in line somehow.”

“A wise person once said that the best way to keep the populace complacent is to give’em crap education,” Anne muttered.

Kit shrugged. “Modern Lit’s cool, too, but wow is it different from way back when.”

“To be fair, weren’t people still using ‘thou’ and shit back when we were alive the first time?” Anne pointed out.

“Yep, pretty sure,” Kit huffed, rolling up her sleeves. “Still, even with twenty years in this new era under my belt, it was just… jarring, I guess. Getting my memories back and seeing how everything’s changed.”

Anne hummed as she marked something on a page. “You’re still in the reconciliation period, babe, don’t worry. Your minds will mesh with time.”

“I hate that that makes sense.” Kit slipped the chicken from the fridge and grabbed the chopping board. Snagging the right knife, she set about cutting the meat into even slices. All the while, she couldn’t help thinking back to Cathy’s smile. It was super pretty and Kit hoped she got a chance to see it again.

Glancing down at her arm, Kit called, “Hey, Annie?”

“Ye?”

“Are you okay? I mean, not seeing Anna for a while?”

Anne frowned and turned away from the table to properly look at her cousin. Kit didn’t seem tense, which was a good sign. Her sleeves were rolled up, though, so Anne could guess where this line of questioning was coming from. She’d need to proceed carefully.

“It gets a little lonely sometimes, not being able to see her.” Anne traced the marks on her arm affectionately. “It’s an internal loneliness. Like… you’ve met your soulmate, but you’re making the conscious decision to stay away from one another and it’s… I dunno quite how to explain it.”

“Do you ever wish you could talk to her in person?” Kit murmured, moving the cut chicken to the skillet on the stove. “Instead of just over video chat or on the phone?”

“Yeah, I really do,” Anne sighed. “But I’m here managing the theatre and she’s helping dog breeders. As much as I love’er, ya can’t tie a free spirit down, Kit.” She smirked and puffed her chest a little. “Mom tried with me and look how that turned out.”

Kit snorted at that and focused on not spilling the vegetable oil. “Yeah, okay, fair point.” She dropped the topic from there and Anne went back to her paperwork. Still, through the cooking process, even when she wasn’t looking at them, Kit could still feel the marks on her arm tingling the rest of the night. _Catherine Parr._


	2. The Next Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cathy and Kit talk a bit about the past and Henry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Names: Kit - Howard, Cathy - Parr, Lina - Aragon

Kit knew it was stupid to hope. They'd met the day before and they were complete strangers. For all she knew, Cathy had forgotten the exchange entirely. It was stupid to hope she'd see her again at the bus stop. She even tried to convince herself of this, but there was still that small voice that told her ‘maybe you'll see her again’. 

Honestly, Kit usually loved Theory of Knowledge, but today, she just couldn’t get out of the class fast enough. She’s positive Susanna, the professor, thought she had a date or something with how she ran out with barely a wave. Kit didn’t mind, though. Whatever got her to the bus stop fastest.

It shouldn’t have hurt so much, seeing her bench as empty as it usually would be. It was to be expected, after all. She didn’t even know why Cathy had been there the previous day. Seeing an empty bench shouldn’t have made her heart sink the way it did, but, well, Kit could dream.

Sinking onto the bench, Kit sighed and reached into her backpack. She was on another book, this one the first in a series about psychics. It seemed interesting and Kit wasn’t completely against unexplainable things, having reincarnation proven to her. She gave a soft chuckle as she started reading. Though the book was very gripping, Kit couldn’t help the small voice in the back of her mind wishing Cathy could be here to read with her again.

After a while, Kit sighed. Yeah, she’d have to try and focus on it at home. Reaching into her sleeve, Kit was surprised to hear a throat clear nearby. A quick glance up made her heart stop. Brown eyes gazed at her above a half-smile half-smirk.

“I believe this is yours,” Cathy said quietly. It sounded so ridiculously smooth, she could almost not believe it came from her. She was an absolute nervous wreck inside.

A small grin spread over Kit’s lips as she reached up for the bookmark. “Yes, I do recall giving it to a cute lady reading a book a little bit ago.” It sounded cheeky and Kit thanked everything in the universe that Anne had gotten custody of her. It made saying lines like that easier.

Cathy ducked her head. Yeah, she was blushing, but she’d also just been called cute. Looking for something to distract from that, she remembered the quote. “So, Queen Catherine Parr?”

The question made Kit pause and she glanced down at the bookmark. Ah, yes. Blue was the color she reserved only for Catherine Parr.

“Yeah,” she replied. “She’s, uh, she was… unbelievable, you know? So smart, outspoken… she worked so hard, even in a society that was stacked against her.”

Warmth spread in Cathy’s chest. Well, that was sweet. “I imagine she was probably doing the best she could,” she chuckled. It always felt odd talking about herself in third person. “I mean, it’s not like she could do too much, before or after being married to the king.”

Unseen to either, both wrinkled their nose at the mention of Henry. Cathy hated when he came up in conversation and Kit just wished she could forget him entirely. Neither of them were particularly enthused that he needed to come up in a conversation with one of the cutest people they’d ever met.

“To be fair, they all were probably doing their best,” Kit pointed out. “All of them didn’t have _too_ much choice in the matter, except maybe Her Majesty Seymour.”

“Jane Seymour was likely the closest any of them got to being Henry’s favorite, someone he could have learned to actually love,” Cathy said quietly. “Because of her son.”

Kit nodded. “It’s unfortunate she didn’t get the chance to experience actual love with him.”

“But as you said, all of them, before and after her, were doing their best.” Cathy didn’t want to think about the other queens. She was lucky enough to even have Anna and Lina. Yes, Anne had also reincarnated, but there was no news on Jane or… or Katherine. Cathy just… didn’t want to dwell on the absence of the person she wanted to see most.

“And yet,” Kit piped up, more enthusiastic than before. “Catherine Parr was one of the most outspoken of the queens, right up there with Anne Boleyn. Both of them weren’t afraid to speak up, to the people, to the court, even to the king. It must have taken so much courage, but both of them stood tall through it and refused to back down on their views.”

Kit could see it in her mind’s eye. Having lived with Anne for years, she knew how much of a spitfire her cousin was. She could perfectly see her being the same back in the past. Even with the upbringing of a court woman, or perhaps _thanks to it_ , Anne was probably a force to be reckoned with. And Catherine… Catherine was always a magnificent sight to behold. Smart, sharp, and sincere.

Cathy wasn’t too sure how to take this information. She had met a few Catherine Parr history enthusiasts, but not all of them spoke about her past life with the same reverence Kit did. It made having the memories seem that much more special, having someone look up to her that way.

“You must really enjoy history,” she finally said, a small laugh entering her voice.

“It’s my first minor,” Kit told her a bit shyly. “I love history. Knowing about the people of the past and how they lived, how the world remembers them, and telling their stories for the future. If I lived in the past, I know I’d like for someone to tell my story right.” _Instead of painting me as an adulterous vixen or something like that,_ Kit added internally with a slight bitter edge.

“That’s something we can agree on,” Cathy agreed. “So many people were painted unfairly by the time period or the historians. I mean, Anne Boleyn for example? She never had an affair. It was all made up, but people tried to paint her as some kind of temptress when, I think, she was just doing her best with the circumstances.”

Kit perked up. Someone else who liked talking about the former wives? She couldn’t possibly pass this up. “Yes, exactly! From what I know, H- the king initially wasn’t interested in her. During his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, he had a few different mistresses before Anne caught his eye and one of them was _her sister_.”

“Yes, it was Mary Boleyn.” Cathy was really getting into it now. Kit’s enthusiasm was contagious. And Kit was clearly knowledgeable about the subject to some degree. “And even then, didn’t he have an illegitimate son before marrying Anne anyway? Couldn’t he have just inducted his son into the royal line? He created the Church of England just to divorce his wife, he could have tweaked or twisted lineage laws.”

“It’s not that,” Kit explained. “I imagine not many knew it at the time, but even though Henry claimed FitzRoy as his son, he needed a legitimate heir so people had no reason to discredit the royal line. His father didn’t earn the crown, so Henry wanted to avoid any dissent that could have come about from another ‘unearned’ crown ruler.”

It felt oddly cathartic to talk about Henry and his failings as a person. Yes, plenty of people talk about his wives and the unfair treatment of them all, but there was so much more to know, about them, about him, about that time. Cathy may have grown up in that era, but in this new life, she hadn’t been as interested in history as she was literature and mathematics. However, she wouldn’t be opposed to learning more if it meant a chance to continue being able to talk about it with Kit. Kit just liked having someone else who felt similarly about Henry, and didn’t shy away from talking about it.

Before they could really get into the meat of the conversation, though, the sound of the bus cut through the air. Kit gave a small pout and Cathy thought her heart would burst. She didn’t want that pout to disappear; it was one of the cutest things she’d ever seen. She had to think of something. “Um, so, here again tomorrow?” Hopefully, that didn’t sound desperate.

Cathy conceded that she was wrong. The pout was allowed to disappear if every time, it was replaced by Kit’s adorable smile. “Yeah, I’d like that, actually. I can’t wait to see you again.” Kit hoped that didn’t come on too strong. She really did like talking to Cathy, though.

“I can’t either,” Cathy chuckled.

As Kit stood, she slipped another bookmark from her sleeve and held it out to Cathy. “Just so you have another reason to come by,” she said cheekily as Cathy took it. The blush across Cathy’s cheeks was the best reward Kit could ask for.

“I’ll be sure to return it,” Cathy told her. Kit gave her a full wave this time and bounded onto the bus. Cathy managed to wave back before the bus doors closed.

Kit chose a better seat this time, but she could have sat anywhere and not even cared. Cathy liked history, too. And she’d actually bothered to come by today. Kit still had no idea why she was around that bus stop, but she wouldn’t complain. It was unbelievably exhilarating, seeing Cathy again. She could have just kept the bookmark instead of making the trek there, but instead, she went out of her way to return it.

Kit couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Cathy quickly flipped the bookmark over, eager to see what this one had written. In bright orange writing, the bookmark read, _You made me your wife, so I will be queen until the end of my life. – Queen Catherine of Aragon_. Cathy couldn’t help the grin that spread over her cheeks. She quickly took out her phone and snapped a picture of the bookmark. She sent the image, along with a text saying, _‘Someone wrote this on a bookmark they let me borrow’_ , to her godmother. Lina would probably love it.

She slipped both her phone and the bookmark into her pocket as Anna pulled up to the curb. “Hey babe,” Anna called, waiting for Cathy to get in. “You visit the bookstore again?”

“Yeah.” Cathy wasn’t sure why, but she didn’t want to tell Anna about Kit just yet. Not until she knew if Kit was interested in being friends. “Probably gonna stop by tomorrow, too, if that’s alright?”

“Hey, you know I’m down for picking you up here again,” Anna laughed, kicking the car into motion. “If you decide this is your place to be, it’ll be easier than tracking you down in the middle of the city.”

Cathy gave her a mock-pout. “I don’t get lost _that_ often,” she huffed, though most of the effect was diminished by the smile tugging the corners of her lips.

“You literally got lost going to Dunkin Donuts the other day,” Anna reminded her. “It’s a straight walk down the street.”

“One of the shops had new a display!” Cathy defended herself. The smile only grew. “So, I had to check all of the shops and just kind of got turned around.”

Anna snorted. “Yeah, okay. You never did get me those donut holes.”

“I won’t get sidetracked next time,” Cathy told her, finally allowing herself a full grin. “And I’ll get you twice as many, scout’s honor.”

“You weren’t a girl scout, and if you were, you’d be a crappy one,” Anna teased. “You have _all_ the badges in, like, a week, but you and I both know you won’t keep that promise.”

Cathy shook her head in defeat. “Okay, fair. Still, I don’t get lost too much.”

“Whatever you say, Cath.” As they idled at a stoplight, Anna asked, “So, see anything you like?”

An image of Kit’s smile flashed in Cathy’s mind’s eye and she paused. Thanks to them talking today, she’d gotten a better look at Kit. She was wearing a scarf again today, but instead of the pink jacket from yesterday, Kit wore a black and green one. It didn’t clash with her bright pink ponytail and instead, the colors complemented each other.

“Earth to Cath!” Anna laughed, waving her free hand in front of Cathy’s face as her other stayed on the steering wheel.

“Hm?” Cathy blinked.

“Whoa, must’ve been a good book,” Anna said, hitting the gas as the light turned green. “You completely zoned!”

Book. Right. Anna was asking about the bookstore. “Oh, it wasn’t anything too special,” Cathy coughed. “Just, um, a memoir.” Memoirs, stories recounting someone’s life events, often with embellishment to explain a point.

Anna shot her a cheeky grin. “Uh huh, just a memoir. Were you looking up celebrity biographies again?”

“No way!” Cathy shuddered. “It was one time! And we agreed never to talk about it!”

“There’s nothing _wrong_ with wondering if Jennifer Lopez took gymnastics,” Anna snorted. “It’s not like you watched the movie or anything.”

“I was just curious and you suck,” Cathy mumbled, embarrassed blush covering her cheeks.

“Only when she asks.” Anna’s sly grin spoke volumes and Cathy groaned.

“You’re so lucky you’re driving.”

A laugh bubbled up between them and Cathy relaxed. Her hand fell to her pocket absently and she rubbed the bookmark through the fabric. She couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not every chapter will be history heavy and I’ll probably start embellishing stuff soon, but I really appreciate getting these details as accurate as possible.


End file.
